I found good, non-biased info. on Accelerated Reader from Wikipedia. I am a strong supporter of AR and of course Renaissance Place is because they designed and benefit financially from the service.
Wikipedia just gives the facts, along with pros and cons of Accelerated Reader. I hope this information is useful.
Accelerated Reader (AR) is a daily progress monitoring software assessment in wide use by primary and secondary schools for monitoring the practice of reading, and it is created by Renaissance Learning, Inc. Currently, there are two versions: a desktop version and a web-based version in Renaissance Place, the company's web software for Accelerated Reader and a number of other software products.
Purpose
Accelerated Reader is an assessment that primarily determines whether or not a child has read a book. The software provides additional information to teachers regarding reading rates, amount of reading, and other variables related to reading. Renaissance Learning does not require or advocate the use of incentives with the assessment, although it is a common misperception.
Reports
Accelerated Reader reports are generated on demand and help students, teachers, and parents monitor student progress. More than 30 reports are available regarding student reading, comprehension, amount of reading, diagnostic information, and other variables. Customizable reports are available in the Renaissance Place edition and can report district-level information.
Research
In a controlled evaluation, Holmes and Brown (2003) found that two schools using the School Renaissance program achieved significantly higher standardized test scores when compared with two contrast schools that were using the Renaissance program in a very limited way.
Criticism
Educators have argued that the use of Accelerated Reader does not teach reading for comprehension, it only teaches reading for recall.[21] (Literacy Skills quizzes in Accelerated Reader do attempt to assess higher order thinking skills.[7]) The Florida Center for Reading Research,[22] citing two studies that support the product (provided it has been implemented correctly), noted both the lack of available books in a school's library and the lack of assessment of "inferential or critical thinking skills" as weaknesses of the software. Nonetheless, their guide also noted a number of strengths of the software, including its ability to motivate students and provide immediate results on students' reading habits and progress.[17]
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4 comments:
Thanks for the information. I will look further into this. Do you know if AC is what they call a "scripted" program?
When I was teaching I used Accelerated Reader all the time. I always thought it was a great program and kept kids reading. I was very surprised to find out when my daughter started Kindergarten this year that her school no longer does AR. What a disappointment! Thanks for all of your information, I will explore the Renaissance program and see if we can use that instead.
AR is not a scripted program from what I understand.
AR does keep kids reading. The teachers and media specialist come up with goody bags and prizes when the little ones achieve their goals. The kids love it. I wonder why your daughter's school no longer uses AR? If you find out, please let me know.
I'm just now learning about AR because of volunteering in school media centers. It seems like a great program. I like how the books are broken in catergories based on length. My daughter isn't in elementary yet but I know that it is being used in the school system that she will attend.
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